Breaking with the past and creating an altogether different future for Guyanese

Jan 22, 2020 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

Mr. Jan Mangal’s letter in Kaieteur News of 15 January 2019, has prompted me to pen these thoughts which I have mused about for some time. Coming from a mixed racial background and growing up and living all my life in a mixed racial community, and working closely with people from the major races, caused me to be very concerned about the racial relations existing in my country. I am concerned that our country will never achieve the level of development which we are capable of and dreaming about, even with the enormous oil wealth we are expected to have, if there is not a radical change of the racial situation in our country.
The two major races, from the time I was born, have been vying for supremacy in the political realm. What makes matters worse is that the racial make-up of the leadership of the two major political parties in the country, reflect the population. It is no secret that both of these major races would like to have their people in government. General elections under the existing constitution invariably result in a winner and a loser, so that half of the population celebrates while the other half is wounded and downtrodden. We cannot continue like this.
Our country therefore needs a constitution where there will be no winner or loser in an election. We need a constitution which distributes executive power proportionate to the number of seats won at the election, a constitution which will give the presidency to the party which wins the largest number of seats, while the office of the prime minister goes to the runner-up. The composition of the cabinet will also be proportionate to the number of seats won by the parties in order to guarantee equitable sharing of executive power, which everyone craves.
Parliament will not have government and opposition benches. Instead, members of parliament will be free to support or oppose as they see fit, because members of parliament, once sworn in, will no longer represent a political party but will be representatives of the people. After all, shouldn’t this be the main reason for being a parliamentarian? The oath taken by parliamentarians must demand loyalty to country only.
However, in order to facilitate the electoral process, in order not to unduly complicate it, the status quo for general elections may remain. Representatives will continue to be members of political parties and campaign under such arrangements, but once elected to parliament, they must discontinue their allegiance to the political parties and become ‘Representatives of the People’.
The president, in consultation with the prime minister, will decide on the number and type of cabinet portfolios for the government. The leadership or executive of the parties which have won seats will nominate the parliamentarians from their parties for cabinet positions, based on the number of positions earned. However, the actual assignment of cabinet portfolios will be done by the president in consultation and with the agreement of the prime minister.

W. Richards

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